Near you Always
by SakuraTamao
Summary: He was acting so lovey dovey towards her today. More than he usually did. She was horrified. Mortified. But why was she leaning in? NaruSaku


Disclaimer: Nope, never. I'm not a genius. I didn't even make the song. Its Jewel's "near you always" I wish it was mine though- wouldn't it be so nice?

* * *

It was a bright cheery day in the lush meadows bordering Konoha. Many of Konoha's couples were "picnicking" in its secluded areas, all except for a certain pink haired kunoichi. Sakura was very frustrated. She loved Sasuke-kun, right? So why was her mind straying to Naruto every second of the day and craving him so much? It was so confusing trying to figure it out. Gazing up to cloudless sky she thought back to her most recent meeting with her blonde teammate.

_As Naruto ran up to her he smiled and waved shouting to the world, "Today's the day I beat Sasuke-bastard for Sakura-chan because I love her!" She blushed redder than a cherry and whacked him on his head. "Don't insult Sasuke-kun, Naruto! You can't beat him anyway!" Naruto looked crestfallen but quickly smiled at her again. "Don't be shy Sakura-chan! You know we both love each other more than anything else in the world!" Seconds later he was running away screaming from a rabid Sakura. As she chased him she repeated her mantra to herself over and over trying desperately to believe it_. I don't like Naruto, he's barely a friend. I don't like Naruto, he's barely a friend. I don't like Naruto…

_**Please don't say I love you,  
those words touch me much too deeply  
and they make my core tremble  
don't think you realize the effect you have over me.**_

_As she sat on the bridge with the rest of team 7 waiting for Kakashi she tried to stare at Sasuke-kun with as much interest and adoration as she could manage. Even as she watched him she became increasingly aware of the warm look Naruto was giving her. _The look you gave someone you loved more than life itself._ She looked away from Sasuke to glare at the water with the fiercest look she could manage. Grimly she noticed she could see Naruto's reflection. He was giving her a look that made her want to run up to him, smother him with kisses and never let him go, Sasuke be damned._

_**Please don't look at me like that  
It just makes me want to make you near me always**_

_Naruto quietly walked off the bridge to inspect something before calling her over. Grumbling, she trudged over to him to see what he wanted. "Look Sakura-chan! Its sasayuri! Aren't they pretty?" He bent down and plucked one of the pretty flowers off the plant as she glared at him. Deciding it would look good on her he arranged it neatly in her hair before leaning in and searching her accusing eyes. Seeing something he came closer until their noses were touching and gave her a sweet kiss on the lips which begged to become more. She shrieked as he broke the kiss and hit his head again, her face dark red. He had a goofy smile on his face and gave her a very pleased look. _'I hated it. It was a horrible kiss. After all, I don't even like Naruto. He's barely a friend if even that,'_ she desperately tried convincing herself. _'I can't stand him and I really don't want another kiss… nope! Never again.'

_**Please don't kiss me so sweet,  
it makes me crave a thousand kisses to follow**_

_Seeing she was ready to kill him Naruto hugged her as she tried to stay stiff as a board. _It was a horrible embrace. It had to be the worst hug ever. There was no way she would want to lean in and return it. _Unconsciously she started leaning in before realizing what she was doing and fleeing from his embrace, Naruto close on her heels._

_**And please don't touch me like that  
makes every other embrace seem pale and shallow**_

_As she returned to her previous spot she tried to hide her mortification as Sasuke suppressed a smirk. _He didn't care! Sasuke didn't care! Nooo!_ As she ranted to herself about Sasuke abandoning her Naruto sidled closer, taking advantage of her preoccupied mind. Feeling his arm slip around her waist brought her back as she gaped at his shamelessness. _'Why does he have to keep torturing me like this!' _she screamed in her mind. She wanted to hug him forever suddenly- but this was all wrong. She was supposed to be after Naruto- no Sasuke- not Naruto!_ She didn't even **like** Naruto!

_**And please don't come so close  
it just makes me want to make you near me always**_

_Suddenly she found him fixing the sasayuri in her hair, reminding her of the bouquet he had left on her doorstep this morning. She decided even if they were so nice and pretty looking they had to smell good if she were to keep them so she smelt them before noticing a card. It was simple; saying he hoped she liked it and wished she would go out to buy ramen with him sometime. It was signed "love, Naruto." Her eye twitched. She would keep the bouquet because it was nice but there was no way she was keeping the card. Somehow it was still on her table when she left though, she realized absently. 'Oh well- I'll just dump it later…'_

_**Please don't bring me flowers  
they only whisper the sweet things you'd say**_

_Naruto grasped her hand in his and traced every scar on it, somehow having it all memorized before even touching her hand. His hand started creeping up her arm to explore other various scars before she shrugged her arm out of his grasp. She didn't want to know he had her arms memorized too; memorizing her hands was bad enough._

_**Don't try to understand me  
your hands already know too much anyway  
It just makes me want to make you near me always**_

_Her heart started beating erratically as Naruto lifted her chin so she was forced to look him in the eye. What was he _doing_! He's acting like we're lovers or something! And why… why don't I care? I'm supposed to be pissed when he's trying to just _talk _to me but here I am letting him hold me in a lover's embrace! Sakura froze at her thoughts as she started to realize something. She could care less about what Sasuke was thinking right now- and wanted Naruto to stay with her forever._

_**And when you look in my eyes  
please know my heart is in your hands  
It's nothing that I understand, but when in your arms  
you have complete power over me**_

_He ran his hand through her hair, reveling in its softness and gave her a look telling her he wanted to finish the kiss he had initiated earlier. She was horrified to realize she could care less if he kissed her. She _wanted_ him to kiss her. Slowly Sakura realized Sasuke no longer had her heart- Naruto did._

_**So be gentle if you please, 'cause  
Your hands are in my hair, but my heart is in your teeth  
And it makes me want to make you near me always**_

_Naruto leaned in lazily to capture her lips in another kiss, his hands still tangled in her hair. _She loved him. She loved the ramen idiot. _Frightened she ran broke away from him and his kiss. Then she ran away as quickly she could, her heart beating a million miles an hour. She wanted to go back to him but she couldn't. If she did she would never leave him again._

_**Your hands are in my hair, but my heart is in your teeth  
And it makes me want to make you near me always**_

Sakura froze as she heard her name on the wind. Was Naruto _looking_ for her? If he was he had better not look here. Just to be sure she was right she scrambled up the tree and looked out over the rest of the meadow. There was Kakashi was leaning against another tree reading _Come Come Paradise_ while Sasuke was giving Naruto an amused look as he searched frantically, shouting her name. Sasuke looked towards her, smirking, before whacking Naruto across the head and pointing towards Sakura. _Time to go! _Sakura darted away as Naruto raced towards her hoping fervently he would stop. She had no such luck. Instead, she felt his strong arms wrap around her and pull her close. "Please don't leave me again Sakura-chan. I promise I won't try anything else unless you say it's ok, just please don't go…"

'He was so warm and soft,' she thought in a slight daze, 'so much nicer than Sasuke and he always treats me so nice…' Sakura twisted around to face him and leaned into his comforting embrace. "Don't say such stupid things Naruto. I'll never leave you. I can't. It's too hard to abandon someone you love."

_**I want to be near you always  
I want to be near you always  
I want to be near you always**_

Naruto smiled softly as he heard her quiet words. "I love you too Sakura…"


End file.
